Boxers vs. Briefs; another popular myth falls to scientific investigation

There are many common health related beliefs that are popular in our culture today. The field of fertility medicine probably has more than most; for instance check out this excerpt from the popular sitcom Seinfeld. These recommendations are often driven by an idea and maybe even a theory that sounds valid. But rarely are they ever challenged by good investigation. Through time, these suggestions can even become recognized as facts despite the lack of supporting data. This has been the case in how men are advised to help their partner conceive more quickly. “Boxers over briefs” has been the unchallenged advice for underwear for decades…until now.

The best study to date was recently published in the journal Andrology. They tracked over 500 couples for a year to see if there was a correlation between time to pregnancy, conception delay or infertility in men who wore boxers vs. briefs. They even tracked daytime vs. nighttime habits as well. Although there some changes in sperm counts and other parameters; this did not impact their true goal of having a baby. So it’s best for men to focus on other helpful instructions to optimize their sperm quality and count.